Submitted by Jamie Ratliff
(May 25, 2025) — Power line corridors are not just home to critical infrastructure that supports the delivery of safe, reliable electricity to millions of customers across the region. They also provide valuable habitats where native plants, pollinators and hundreds of wildlife species thrive. As part of its commitment to environmental stewardship and supporting biodiversity, Eversource’s vegetation management team has created a new resource for customers to learn about some of the diverse creatures that inhabit the energy company’s rights-of-way in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. From snakes to snapping turtles and spotted salamanders, On the Move: A Guide to Herptiles in Our Power Line Corridors highlights 20 reptiles and amphibians that call these passageways home.
“Our vegetation management team maintains more than 3,500 miles of power line corridors throughout New England, crossing all kinds of diverse terrain from forests to wetlands, and we use industry best practices to support low-growth habitats in our rights-of-way, which are essential for many herptiles and other species of animals, plants and insects to flourish,” said Eversource Director of Vegetation Management Sean Redding. “Our dedicated arborists are passionate about caring for these habitats, and we strive to be good neighbors by protecting these local ecosystems while balancing the need to deliver safe, reliable power to our customers.”
New England is heavily forested, and although trees are a treasured part of the region’s landscape, they’re also the number one cause of power outages for customers during storms. As part of Eversource’s comprehensive and thoughtful vegetation management programs, the company’s licensed arborists work at specific times of year and use specialized equipment to protect environmental habitats from the critical work that must be completed to ensure electrical reliability and enhance public safety for customers.
This new educational resource celebrating biodiversity in Eversource’s rights-of-way is the result of an innovative partnership with award-winning New Hampshire wildlife artist Matt Patterson, who brought the guide to life with his illustrations of the herptiles that are featured. Patterson is a member of Artists for Conservation, a Fellow in The Explorers Club, and has illustrated several books – including New York Times national bestseller Sy Montgomery’s Of Time and Turtles and The Book of Turtles.
“Reptiles and amphibians are some of the most varied, beautiful and toughest animals on earth,” said Patterson. “They have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and they are the foundation to many habitats and ecosystems. They are also some of the most endangered and threatened animals. Learning about and protecting them gives us a great opportunity to help uphold the health of our beautiful planet.”
For more information about the company’s robust vegetation management programs, please visit Eversource.com. Customers can download a free copy of the herptiles guide here, as well as explore other illustrated guides including Eversource’s Pollinator Roadmap and Nature’s Natives – a resource for landscaping with New England’s native plants.
